Netherlands Near Agreement with Uganda to Establish Deportation Center for Rejected Asylum Seekers
Dutch government sources have revealed that The Hague is close to reaching an agreement with Uganda to establish a special center for receiving asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected in the Netherlands, in preparation for their eventual deportation to their countries of origin.
According to Reuters, an official announcement of the deal could be made in the coming days as intensive consultations continue between the two parties. A spokesperson for Dutch Immigration Minister David van Weel confirmed that the minister held “advanced and constructive talks” with Ugandan officials on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings in New York.
The spokesperson explained that the discussions mainly focus on the mechanism of “returning rejected asylum seekers via Ugandan territory.” He added that Minister van Weel is optimistic about reaching a final understanding soon, though he declined to specify a timeline for signing the agreement. So far, Uganda’s foreign ministry has not issued any official comment on the matter.
A Contentious European Context
This development comes at a time when the European Union is engaged in heated debates over migration management. In March, the European Commission proposed allowing member states to establish detention centers for migrants in countries outside the EU, where rejected asylum seekers would be held while awaiting deportation to their homelands.
However, legal experts have raised concerns about the compatibility of such plans with Dutch domestic law as well as international refugee and human rights conventions. The Dutch initiative also recalls Britain’s controversial experiment with Rwanda, which faced repeated legal challenges and was eventually scrapped after the Labour Party came to power—without a single deportation flight ever being carried out.
A Hot Election Issue
These developments carry significant political weight in the Netherlands, where migration is set to be one of the most pressing issues in next month’s parliamentary elections. Disagreements over tightening asylum policies were a key factor behind the collapse of the ruling coalition in June.
According to official figures, the Netherlands received more than 32,000 asylum applications last year, marking a 16% decrease compared to 2023. Yet despite this decline, migration continues to spark intense debate among political parties and remains a divisive issue in Dutch society, where some call for tougher restrictions while others warn against undermining the country’s humanitarian and legal obligations.
